The Valley of the Shadow of Death – Thoughts to Think Over

Nov 19

As I write this, my wife Janet is fighting COVID-19 in quarantine here at home. The rest of our family is also in quarantine per guidelines. We had a scare yesterday as Janet’s condition deteriorated over the first several days, only to self-correct in a matter of a few minutes last night. Today has been a better day, although the body aches which almost overwhelmed her previous night are coming back tonight. Last night, we almost decided to give up and go to the hospital due to her body aches and shortness of breath. We are glad we stuck it out a little longer. We hope tonight will be a little better with some adjustment of her meds.

As we have dealt with COVID-19 at the health center over the last eight months and treated numerous people over that period, some sicker, some not, Janet and I have described to our patients this sense that patients are going through the “valley of the shadow of death”. It represents that period during the illness where the breathing and other symptoms reach their peak before either resolving or ending up in the hospital - or, God forbid, worse. It is a term derived from the 23rd Psalm in the Bible, wherein verse 4, King David (the presumed writer of this Psalm) states:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

What a promise! Having been a shepherd in his youth, David knows what he is talking about and sharing with his audience. The shepherd’s rod (essentially, a massive club) was an offensive weapon; the shepherd used it to strike away animals like wolves attacking the sheep under his care. The shepherd’s staff (the long, thin staff with a round hook at the end) was a defensive weapon; the shepherd used it to pull sheep away from quicksand, cliffs, and other similar threats, as well as defensively keep animal threats away until his club could come into play.

What is your current “valley of the shadow of death”? Is it physical (ie, fighting COVID-19), is it mental (stressing about the nation and world, or where you work)? Is it something else? Whatever it is, whether you are walking floors full of COVID-19 patients, or fighting COVID-19 yourself or some other physical ailment, or wondering about where you will end up as a healthcare professional in an uncertain future, you can know that our Ultimate Shepherd is still with you, because He promises that His rod and His staff will “comfort” and protect us, no matter what. Let us take that constant encouragement and root ourselves in it, no matter what happens, even as Janet and I are standing fast in that promise for ourselves.